For all the quality of some later recordings - notably Antonio
Pappano’s 1997 EMI recording of all three of the operas
which make up Il trittico - I suspect that few lovers
of Puccini - or of Italian opera more generally - would want
to be without a copy of this classic recording.

The quality of Giovacchino Forzano’s libretto for this
last of the one act operas which make up Il Trittico
brought out facets of Puccini not generally heard elsewhere.
Forzano’s text - he also wrote the libretto for Suor
Angelica as well as libretti for operas by Mascagni, Leoncavallo
and Wolf-Ferrari, amongst others - is an assured piece of work,
the creation of a vivid imagination prompted by a brief passage
in Dante. The text is well-shaped, with a strong sense of theatrical
timing, some sharp and colourful characterisation and some amusing
dialogue. Seeing or hearing a good performance of Gianni
Schicchi makes one wish that Puccini had attempted comedy
more often than he did. Certainly, hearing what Tito Gobbi makes
of the title role encourages such a wish. Every bit as vocally
assured as one would expect from such a great singer, this is
a master-class in vocal characterisation. Gianni’s quick-witted
and sardonic astuteness and his parental tenderness are alike
created rapidly and forcefully. Gobbi makes one believe that
both are plausible aspects of the same individual. His routine
as the miraculously resurrected Donati is a joy, and is aided
by Alfred Mariotti’s splendid grotesque cameo as Maestro
Spineloccio. Victoria de los Angeles is a vocally beautiful
Lauretta - ‘O mio babbino caro’ is altogether ravishing.
Anna Maria Canali is a colourful and persuasive Zita and most
of the other minor roles are well sung and ‘acted’,
in a fine ensemble performance. Perhaps the only relative weakness
is in tenor Carlo Del Monte’s rather disappointing Rinuccio,
whose singing is no more than adequate and who does little to
make one believe in the character.

The work of the orchestra under Gabriele Santini is totally
idiomatic. Santini had a very sure-footed command of the Italian
repertoire and he complements his singers very well at every
turn here.

The recorded sound - which is mono - shows its age, especially
at climaxes, but not so badly as to distract or detract from
a fine performance. Given that Santini made his conducting debut
as early as 1906 (as assistant conductor to Toscanini) and by
1958 had garnered a wealth of experience throughout the opera
houses of Italy, this is understandably a deeply ‘Italian’
performance - and is blessed with some fine singers.

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